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Re: Potential solution for conversion from AWT to Swing

Posted by dscho on Dec 05, 2009; 3:05pm
URL: http://imagej.273.s1.nabble.com/ImageJ-development-involvement-contributions-tp3690030p3690083.html

Hi,

On Sat, 5 Dec 2009, Raymond Martin wrote:

> > AWT-Swing coexistence is possible in the latest versions of Java,
> > although it has some problems on some operative systems.
> >
> > If you have a look at the SIOX plugin (
> > http://pacific.mpi-cbg.de/wiki/index.php/SIOX) you will see an example.
> > Everything but the ImageWindow is a Swing component. If you try to run it
> >  in a Linux machine, depending on the Compiz, some of the components will
> >  be repainted correctly and some will not.
>
> Okay, had a look and got it to run in my ImageJ version.

Ignacio pointed to the Fiji version, which requires fiji-lib.jar.  Wayne
was not happy with that limitation and made an ImageJ >= 1.43l version.

> In running that plugin I have discovered a typical problem that occurs
> in Java GUI applications, that of the GUI blocking during long running
> processes. I have solved this in other GUI applications I work on by
> using a specific threading library, Foxtrot(BSD license), that enables
> the use of both synchronous and asynchronous threads in flexible ways.
> SwingWorker can also be used to prevent the GUI freeze, but is not as
> flexible (license?).
>
> Would adding this dependency be acceptable for the problem it solves?

We usually prefer just to use threads.

> Other than that, I have not run into any serious problems converting to
> Swing yet. Since the potential for problems is believed to rest with
> supporting plugins, would ask others to please point out, if they can,
> exactly which plugins gave problems in past efforts to do what I am
> attempting.

Maybe you can provide your version so people can actually test out?  The
most problems are actually with closed-source cannot-give-away plugins,
after all.

Ciao,
Dscho